The week before last I got lucky. I stumbled upon a tweet by Kathy Sdao (@ksdao) with a link to a Canadian radio program called “Ideas.” For three successive Mondays they broadcasted a series of one-hour episodes titled Dogs Themselves. I just finished listening to the final installment. It aired last night, December 27, and I have to share it with you!
Go to Dogs Themselves. You’re in for a treat.
Max Allen, the host, interviewed an all-star line up including Alexandra Horowitz (I love her voice!), Patricia McConnell, Suzanne Clothier, Jon Katz, Clive Winn and Monique Udell (You might remember them from this year’s APDT conference.), Karen Pryor, and other familiar names as well as people that I’d not heard of but was delighted to hear from.
What I appreciated about Max Allen and all his guests is the respect and wonder with which they talked about dogs as dogs. Nearly everyone told captivating stories about dogs they know or had known, and many offered up some super-duper, ulta-premium kibble for thought. It was simply a joy to luxuriate in intelligent, considered conversation about dogs not to mention some very nice editing on the part of the “Ideas” team.
And, AND.. Dogs Themselves was not “fair and balanced!” Discredited, junk ideas about dogs and dog training were not obligatorily offered up in the guise of a legitimate counterweight to up-to-date science about dog cognition, how dogs learn, and what’s going on inside of a dog anyway.
So fetch yourself a glass of wine. Invite your pup onto the couch with you for a cuddle–that is if your dog is in to that sort of thing. Click on this link to Dogs Themselves. Kick back and enjoy.
This is probably the last post for 2010. So let me take this opportunity to wish you and your canine loved ones a Very Happy New Year!
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I am listening right now and enjoying it. Sending this short comment in between because it is a long show. Just to let you know I am loving it.
Thanks, and Happy New year to you too!
I’m so glad you are enjoying the program. Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m going to check it out this evening; I already spent too much time this morning watching Danish TV on KenzoHW’s recommendation. Actually, it’ll be a nice counterpoint: I had the visuals this morning without understanding the language, except for “hund.” This evening I’ll hear the voices, no visuals.
Happy New Year to you, too!
I hope you enjoy the broadcasts. Do you have the url’s for the Danish TV? I’d love to give it a go. Thank you and happy new year to you and Frankie.
Belatedly — here’s the link to the Danish TV show (which was on Kenzo’s blog talking about it): http://www.dr.dk/DR1/STAMSIDER/20101011150527.htm
Thank you! What did you think of the radio programs?
I’m really excited about this program too. I’ve bookmarked it so I can listen when I’m more awake.
Thanks for passing it along.
And hope you have a wonderful new year too!
I hope you enjoy these interview as much as I did. And, Happy New Year!
I just finished watching the last episode and it was as wonderful as you said.
I think Max Allen made such a great interviewer because he was obviously as interested in dogs as his guests.
And I really appreciated Jon Katz’s comment in the end about conflict between people who see dogs as children and people who appreciate dogs for themselves. I think we see some of that in the different styles of pet blogs that are out there.
Anyway, thank you for the excellent spot and recommendation.
Jon Katz’s comments caught my attention as well. I’m glad you enjoyed the series.
This is fantastic! I was wondering how to spend my afternoon, now I know.
Hope you have a great New Year!
Oh good. Have fun and Happy New Year.